Improvement in firemen s ladders



Firemen H ARTMAN.

s Ladders, 1

Patented May/19,1874,

UNITED STATES ATENT EEIGE.

JOHN J. HARTMAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT lN FIREMENS LADDERS.

Specification forming part of Letteis Patent No. 151,123, dated May 19, 1874; application iilrd March 16, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J HARTMAN, of St. Louis, St. Louis county, Missouri, have invented a certain new and` useful Improvement in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specitication: i

My invention relates to that class of ireescapes by which communication may be had with the upper stories of a building without necessarily making use of the walls of the building in raising or sustaining the ladder forming the means of communication, the apparatus being mounted on wheels.

The rst part of my improvement relates to the manner of raising the extension-ladder. The feet of the ladder are hinged to a sliding carriage, and from the upper side of the ladder extends a frame, as shown, which is connected by pivoted struts to a sliding carriage similar to that to which the feet of the 'ladder are connected; In the carriages are secured box-nuts, in which, respectively, turn right and left hand screws, so that by turning the screw shaft simultaneous movement is given to the carriages, to cause them to approach or separate from each other, to raise or to lower the ladder.

The second part of my improvement relates to the construction of the turn-table, on which the ladder is supported. This is arranged on the front bolster, which constitutes, in fact, the lower member or base of the turn-table, and has a broad circular bearing on the axle. The base frame of the ladderconstitutingpart of the upper member of the turn-table-has pivoted legs at that end toward which the ladder leans, the legs being so constructed as to be rmly braced when in active position, so as to prevent the horizontal movement of the table.

Figure lis a perspective view, showing those parts of the apparatus which embrace the points of novelty, and in position for use. Fig. 2 is a side view, showing the apparatus as arranged for movement from place to place, the central part of the ladders and reach being broken out.

A is a hind wheel, B the hind bolster, supporting the rear or free end of the ladder. G is the reach, extending from the rear to the fore bolster D. The fore bolster constitutes the lower member of the turn-table, having a broad circular bearing on the fifth-wheel or bearing-frame E of the fore axle F. The up-v per member of the turn-table has side timbers G G, and cross-timbers or bars H H. At the inner sides of the timbers G G are channels g, serving as slides for the two sliding carriages I and J. At the middle of each of these carriages is a box-nut, t' and j, respectively, one ot' which has a right and the other a left hand screw-thread. At each end of the carriages I and J are lugs or standards L, through which pass the pivot-bolts, to connect the foot of the ladder to the carriage I, and the pivoted struts, by which the ladder is raised as the carriages are drawn together, are connected to the carriage J. The rod M passes through the lower ends a of the ladder N, and through the lugs L, and serves to pivot or hinge the ladder to the carriage I. On the upper side of the lad der N is a strongly-braced frame, consisting of posts O and braces P, connected at top by a transverse rod, Q, passing through the posts, and through the ripper ends of the pivoted struts R, serving to connect the struts to the ladder-frame. The lower ends of the struts are pivoted to the carriage J by means of the bolts Q passing through them, and through lugs L. K is a right and left hand screwlshai't, turning in bearings K', and engaging in the nuts and j, so that by its rotation the earriages are drawn together or forced asunder. The screw-shaftKis turned by a winch, S, or other means. The extension part Nl of the ladder slides in the part N between the :rounds and metallic straps, as shown, and is raised and lowered by means of a rope passing over a pulley at the top of the part N, and extending to the lower end of N,`the rope being wound on a windlass attached to the bottom of the ladder at N. This arrangement for op erating the extension part of the ladder is not claimed as new, and is not lettered. T T are twolegs, of similar construction, pivoted at U to the side timbers G of the turn-table.

The position of leg T is shown by dotted lines in Fig. l. The legs have side braces, constituting an angular frame, t, carrying a side lug or pin, V, which, when the leg is in action, rests beneath the side timber G, and is engaged by a drop -hook, W, to hold the lug up against the bottom of the timber, (see Fig. l) so that the leg is held firmly in position, and imparts additional stability to the frame, as well as vertical support to that end. X is a cleat-hook, to sustain the free end of the leg when folded back out of use. (See Fig. 2.) Y is a drop-hook engaging the reach and pivoted to the upper member ofthe turn-table, the said hook preventing the turning of the turn-table when in the position shown in Fig. 1. y is a removable pin to keep the hook Y down upon the reach. Z is a cleat on the upper member of the turn-table, and z is a pin passing through this cleat and into the bolster D, to hold the parts of the turn-table in the relative position shown in Fig. 2 (when the ladder is being elevated).

When moving the apparatus from place to Vplace the parts are in the position shown in i Fig. 2, but the fore and hind wheels must be understood to be a considerable distance asunder, as they support, respectively, the fore and rear ends of a long ladder, N. The axle of the rear wheels is provided with usual means to turn it by hand in passing around corners. 0n arriving at the ground for use, the screw K is turned to draw the carriages I and J toward each other. This causes the free end of the ladder to rise. The ladder may be raised until it is nearly or quite vertical, when the pin z may be drawn out, and the turn-table turned to any position desired, to allow the ladder to be lowered down against the building. Before the ladder is lowered to the building, however, the legs T T are turned down and locked in position by the hooks W, to support that end of the turn -table toward which the ladder leans. In some cases it is not admissible to lean the ladder against any wall; in this case it may be raised to an upright position and sustainedentirely by the turn-table, the hose being carried up it to enable a stream of water to be thrown upon the fire. When the turn-table is in the usual position during action, as in Fig. 1, the hook Y upon the upper part of the turn-table is made to span the reach, to hold the turn table in position.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of ladder N, pivoted struts R, sliding carriages I and J, turn-table D G H, with reach C, having a bearing in the rear bolster D, all substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the ladder N, struts R R, carriages I and J, screw-shaft K, nuts i' and j, turn-table D G H, and legs T T', all constructed and operating substantially as set forth.

In testimony oi' which invention I have hereunto set my hand this (ith day of March, 1874..

JOHN J. HARTMAN.

Witnesses:

SAML. KNIGHT, ROBERT BURNS. 

